Sins of the Past
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: Delia is forced to face her past involvement with Giovanni when she and Professor Oak are kidnapped by Team Rocket.
1. Chapter 1

Delia Ketchum stood on the front porch of the Oak Pokémon Research Laboratory and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, Professor Oak opened the door and smiled at the sight of his pretty neighbor.

"Good morning, Delia! I didn't expect you to come over so quickly."

"Well, as soon as you told me that you had heard from Ash, I wanted to come over right away and find out what my little pumpkin is up to."

"Actually, right after I called, two young people showed up with a rather interesting Poké ball. I was in the middle of talking to them when you rang the doorbell."

"Oh. Well, if you're busy then, I'll stop by later." She turned to go.

"No, you don't have to do that." He enjoyed having her around and had been looking forward to her visit. "It shouldn't be too long if you don't mind waiting a few minutes. Why don't you have a seat in the living room?" He led her down the hall to where a young man and woman dressed in hiking clothes were seated on the living room couch.

"This is a friend of mine, Delia Ketchum." The young man and woman nodded in her direction. "I asked her to stop by before you showed up on my doorstep."

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything," Delia said apologetically.

"Not at all," Professor Oak continued. He turned to face the young couple. "Now then, you were telling me that the two of you were hiking in the Mount Moon range when you were approached by another hiker?"

"Yes," said the blonde-haired girl. "He said that he had found this when he was backpacking near one of the caves." She held out her hand to reveal a shiny, metallic Poké ball.

Professor Oak took the Poké ball from her and examined it. "Unusual color," he commented. Instead of the usual red-and-white color, this Poké ball was black and silver.

"He also said that this Poké ball supposedly contained a rare Pokémon never seen before," added the green-haired young man. "He said that he had tried to open it, but couldn't. He mentioned that you might be able to and asked us if we could take it to you since we were heading in the direction of Pallet Town."

"Well, why don't we head to the lab and take a look," Professor Oak said, standing up. "Hopefully this won't take too long, Delia."

"Take your time. I'm in no rush," said Delia. "Matter of fact, it'll give me some time to clean up this place." She started picking up several books and scientific journals that were scattered on the floor. "I honestly don't know how you can live like this, Professor."

Professor Oak felt his face redden at Delia's comment on his sloppiness. "Uh, the lab is this way. Follow me, please."

Once inside the laboratory, the two teenagers watched eagerly as Professor Oak further examined the mysterious Poké ball. 

"And you say that the man tried to open the ball, but couldn't, correct?"

"Yes," said the girl.

"Did he try pressing the button on the front?"

"We don't know. We didn't see him try to open it," said the boy.

"Well, why don't we start with the most obvious way to open a Poké ball and work from there, shall we?"

The boy and girl exchanged glances and stepped away from the laboratory bench.

As Professor Oak pressed the button on the front of the Poké ball, there was a loud "poof" as the room filled with a greenish-black smoke. The boy and girl reached inside their jackets and quickly donned a pair of gas masks. Coughing and choking, Professor Oak stumbled towards the doorway, only to be seized by the couple.

"You're not going anywhere, Professor, except with us."

He struggled vainly as he felt himself lose consciousness. As he slumped to the floor, the girl smiled at her partner.

"That went exactly as planned, didn't it, Butch?"

"Perfectly, Cassidy."

But one thing they hadn't planned on was Delia. Startled by the noise, she stuck her head out of the living room and saw green-black smoke issuing from the laboratory. As the smoke dissipated, she raced down the hall to the lab and saw two figures in gas masks bending over the unconscious Professor Oak.

"What's going on here? What are you doing?" 

Startled, the two looked up at her. They had forgotten that she was in the other room.

"I'll take care of him," the girl told her companion. "You take care of her."

As the figure in the gas mask advanced menacingly, Delia turned and ran as fast as she could down the hall back to the living room. As she leapt over the couch and lunged at the telephone on the console, Delia could hear her pursuer's footsteps growing louder in the hallway. She knew she had only a few seconds to dial Officer Jenny's number. The instant she picked up the telephone receiver in her shaking hand, her other arm was grabbed from behind.

"Let go of me!" Delia swung the phone at her attacker, but he grabbed her wrist and held her tightly. A vicious kick to Butch's shins caused him to release his grip on her. Cursing, he lunged for her and seized her ankle, sending her crashing to the floor. As she struggled to get away, Butch reached inside his jacket and produced another black and silver Poké ball. He pressed the button on the ball and tossed it next to Delia's head. As the room filled with green-black smoke, Delia choked and tried desperately to hold her breath. Finally, the effort was too much for her. As she gasped for air, her lungs filled with the choking smoke. Butch felt her go limp and released his grip on her ankle. Delia made a feeble attempt to crawl away, but then her world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

"Did you bring me what I wanted?"

"Yes, Boss," Cassidy replied. "We captured Professor Oak, just as you ordered."

"Excellent. You've done well. There will be bonuses for both of you." Giovanni smiled at his Team Rocket henchmen. "Did he put up much of a struggle?"

"No, but the woman…" Butch then realized that he had said the wrong thing.

"Woman? What woman?" Giovanni's smile faded.

"There was a woman with Professor Oak. A friend of his," Cassidy explained. 

"She saw the whole thing," Butch added. "She was trying to call for help. We had to stop her." 

Giovanni was silent for a moment, contemplating this additional bit of news. "You say she's a friend of his?"

"Yes."

Giovanni's smile returned. "Actually, this may work out even better than I had planned. I think the good Professor may be more willing to cooperate with us if he knew that failure to would endanger his female companion."

Butch and Cassidy smiled triumphantly at each other.

"Where are they now?" Giovanni asked.

"They're in the cell in the basement," said Cassidy. 

"Let's go pay them a visit, shall we?" Giovanni tickled the chin of his pet Persian, then stood up. Butch and Cassidy followed at his heels as he slid aside a panel in the wall and started down a hidden staircase. Once in the dimly-lit basement, Giovanni turned down a series of passageways until he came to a room that contained a cell. On the floor of the cell lay a woman with her head turned to one side. Her auburn hair was strewn about her face, so Giovanni couldn't make out who she was. Sprawled atop her was an unconscious Professor Oak.

"My, don't they look cozy?" Giovanni said in sarcastic amusement. He turned to the Team Rocket guards that were standing watch next to the cell. "Let me know the minute he wakes up."

"Yes, Boss," the guards answered in unison.

"Meanwhile, I have another assignment for the two of you," Giovanni told Butch and Cassidy. "Let's return to my office so we can discuss it."

--- 

__

Lub-dup….lub-dup….lub-dup….

Sounds like a heartbeat, Professor Oak thought as he slowly returned to consciousness. He opened his eyes to discover that the heartbeat belonged to Delia. He was lying atop her with his head pillowed on her chest.

__

At least she's still alive, he thought as he moved himself off of her and slowly sat up. He gently shook her shoulder.

"Delia? Can you hear me? Wake up."

Delia slowly opened her eyes. "Professor? What happened?" She looked around the dimly-lit cell. "And where are we?"

"I don't know," he said as he stood up and helped her to her feet. 

Delia, noticing the two guards sitting on the opposite side of the room, addressed them. "Excuse me, but can you tell us why we're here in this cell?"

One of the guards glanced up from his magazine. "They're up," he told his companion. "Go tell the boss." The other guard disappeared down the dark corridor.

"The last thing I remember was opening that strange Poké ball," Professor Oak told Delia. "Suddenly, there was a cloud of smoke, and I vaguely remember trying to escape…then nothing."

"Those two people weren't hikers at all. I saw them trying to take you away, so I ran to the phone to try to call Officer Jenny. Before I could, one of them caught me and knocked me out, too." 

"But what would they want with me and you?" Professor Oak wondered.

Both of them heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Someone's coming," Delia said as she instinctively moved closer to him.

__

Looks like she's more than just a friend, Giovanni thought as he entered the room and saw Professor Oak with his arm around an auburn-haired woman. Professor Oak had his back to Giovanni, so he couldn't get a clear view of who the woman was.

"Don't worry, Delia. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"My, isn't this a touching scene," Giovanni sneered. 

Both Professor Oak and the young woman turned around. The woman moved her head so she could get a better view of who was speaking to them and gasped.

"Delia?" Giovanni was clearly taken aback at the sight of the familiar face. 

"Giovanni?" Delia was equally shocked.

"It's been a long time," Giovanni said as he regained his composure. "You've changed."

"So have you," she said quietly.

Professor Oak was stunned as well. He never knew that Delia had once been involved with Giovanni. 

"Please let us go," she pleaded.

"And deprive myself of a reunion with one of my former Team Rocket members? I think not."

A shocked Professor Oak turned to face Delia, who was visibly cringing. She had never told anyone, not even Ash, about her past. Only her husband had known the truth; he had been the one who was responsible for getting her out of Team Rocket. But now that he was dead, the only person left who knew about her past was Giovanni.

"Giovanni, that's over now. I hate what Team Rocket stands for."

"Does that mean that you hate me too, Delia? That would be a shame, because I could never hate you." His voice was chilling, a mixture of love and hate. Giovanni moved closer to the cell, his eyes fixed on Delia. She was frightened by what she saw in his face. "I might be angry with you, but never hate you." He reached through the bars of the cell and touched her face. She quickly drew back from his touch and retreated to the other side of the cell. 

"Let her go, Giovanni. It's me that you want." 

"My, Professor Oak, how noble of you. Unfortunately, that's not…" Another Team Rocket member came running up to Giovanni and whispered something in his ear. 

"I have to leave you now, but we'll continue our little chat later." Giovanni smiled malevolently at Delia. "I'll be looking forward to it. Won't you, Delia?" She drew herself further into the corner of the cell. 

Once Giovanni had left the two of them alone, Delia and Professor Oak sat in silence for several moments. Professor Oak looked over at Delia. She sat in the darkened corner of the cell with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, brooding. She kept biting her lip, trying hard not to cry. His heart ached for her.

"Delia?"

No response. She didn't even look up.

"Delia, please say something."

She slowly lifted her head and faced him with a wounded look in her eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head.

"It might help you feel better. I'm a very good listener, you know." He moved closer to her. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Professor Oak really was the only friend she could trust. She took a deep breath and began her story.

"My father died when I was fifteen. My mother and I were both devastated. We didn't have a lot of money, so Mom had to take two jobs to support us. It was hard for her to do that since she was grieving for Dad, but she didn't have any choice. I know I didn't make things any easier for her."

Delia sighed.

"I was hurting, too. Mom was all that I had left and I wanted her to comfort me, to tell me that everything would be okay. But she wasn't around for me anymore; she was always working. I started acting up in school: cutting classes, hanging out with the wrong crowd, drinking, smoking. I even briefly tried drugs. I just wanted someone to pay attention to me."

Delia looked down at the floor.

"Some of the kids I was hanging around with told me about a friend of theirs. They said that he would take care of them, give them money and gifts and things like that. One of my friends introduced me to Giovanni." 

Even though he was barely out of his teens, Giovanni was already a master of manipulation. He knew exactly what to say and do to get others to do his bidding. With the male recruits, all he had to do was appeal to their desire for power. Tell them that as members of Team Rocket they would be both feared and respected. They could do whatever they wanted and no one would stop them. They would be in charge, in control, in power. 

As far as the female recruits, Giovanni had a different approach. He would appeal to their emotions, make them dependent on him. He would flatter them, make them feel as if they were the most important thing in the world to him. Sometimes that necessitated sleeping with them, but Giovanni didn't mind. It was one of the benefits of being the leader. And Delia had fallen for his words, just like the others. The only thing Giovanni hadn't counted on was falling for her himself. 

"He was a little bit older than I was. He had this air of power about him that was so compelling. I fell in love with him. He was…my first." 

Even though Delia willingly participated in Team Rocket's schemes, stealing and shoplifting with the others, there was an underlying air of sweetness and innocence about her. Giovanni wasn't surprised to discover that she was still a virgin. It made her that more dependent on him. But there was something about Delia that reminded him of another girl long ago. His first love. Sometimes when he was with Delia he would close his eyes and imagine that he was with Lydia again.

And she had broken his heart, betrayed him just like Lydia had done. The day she had come to him telling him that she was quitting Team Rocket, quitting because she had met the man who would eventually become her husband, was still a painful memory. He exploded in a violent rage, calling her every vile name in the book, and yes, he had even hit her…struck her so hard that he sent her crashing to the floor. Giovanni then turned and walked out of the room, leaving her sobbing on the floor with blood pouring from her mouth.

She still had a small scar next to her lip from where his ring had cut her. Even though she kept it hidden under makeup during the day, she still had to look at that scar every morning when she got up and every evening when she went to bed. It was her penance, her punishment, a constant reminder of her past sins. 

Delia fingered the tiny mark on her face. "When I left Team Rocket to marry my husband, Giovanni was furious. He said that I had betrayed him and Team Rocket. Some of the things he said about me…" Her voice trailed off as a tear fell from her eye. "He hit me."

"Oh, Delia." Professor Oak reached out and put his arm around her shoulders. 

"Still can't keep your hands off one another?" Giovanni had returned. At the sound of his voice, Delia shrank closer to her friend. Professor Oak's arm tightened protectively around her.

"You always did like older men, didn't you, Delia? At least that's one thing about you that hasn't changed." Giovanni sneered as he walked over to the caged pair. "Where's that husband of yours?" It was obvious to Giovanni that Delia and Professor Oak were lovers. 

"He…he died a couple of years ago," Delia said in a small voice.

"My condolences," Giovanni said in a voice that clearly said that he wasn't sorry at all. "So, how long have you two been together?"

"It's not like that…"

Giovanni faced Professor Oak. "Tell me, Professor, has she tried that little trick with the fingers across the back?" He assumed incorrectly that the two were sleeping together. "I taught her that, you know. As I recall, Delia, you used to love when I did that to you." He smiled at her, a cruel, lustful smile. "I was rather surprised the day you turned that trick around and used it on me. But then again, you always were a quick learner. In more ways than one." 

"Giovanni, why are you doing this?" Delia was near tears. This emotional torture was far worse than any physical torture he could've inflicted on her. He was trying to humiliate her, make her feel dirty.

"Because you betrayed me! Betrayed me and Team Rocket," he shouted at her. As Giovanni put his face against the bars of the cell, he lowered his voice. "You may think that just because you've left Team Rocket and become a fine, upstanding citizen that you've changed. Well, you may think you've changed, Delia, but I know what you really are deep down inside. You'll never change that, no matter how hard you try." 

Delia started to cry.

"I'll leave you two alone now. I imagine you have plenty to talk about." Giovanni motioned to his bodyguards, who followed him out of the room.

Delia leaned forward, buried her face in her hands, and sobbed uncontrollably. Giovanni was right, she was bad. No matter what she said and did, it still didn't change the fact that she had hurt people, stolen things, vandalized property, and done plenty of other things that she was ashamed of. 

"Delia, please don't cry," Professor Oak reached out to her, but she flinched and pulled away at his touch. 

"No," she sobbed. "W-what you must think of me." Giovanni had succeeded in completely humiliating her in front of the man whom she respected, the man whose respect she wanted in return. And now….she couldn't even look Professor Oak in the eye.

"Don't pull away from me, Delia, please," he begged. It wounded him to see her in such pain. He took her tear-stained face in his hands. "Oh, Delia. You didn't do anything wrong," he said in a voice filled with sympathy. "Giovanni is the guilty one. He took advantage of you…your grief, your vulnerability, your youth, your innocence. He cruelly manipulated you. As far as I'm concerned, you were the innocent victim in all this."

Delia looked into his eyes and saw nothing but unconditional love. 

"Delia, you are a good person. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I know it, and you know it, too."

"T-t-thank you," she choked.

Professor Oak drew her close to him as she wrapped her arms around him and cried on his shoulder. 

--- 

Delia lay asleep in Professor Oak's arms. She had cried for so long that she had cried herself into exhaustion. 

Giovanni stood at the doorway and watched as Professor Oak kissed the top of her head. He hadn't meant to be so cruel to Delia, but seeing her again had stirred up all the old feelings of betrayal and anger he had felt when she had left him. The person he was really angry with was her husband, the man whom he held responsible for taking Delia away from him and Team Rocket. But since he was gone now, the next best target for his revenge was the man who currently had her heart. 

Giovanni silently walked over to the cell and looked at Delia. Her makeup was smeared and her face blotchy; it was obvious that she had been crying for a long time. She was sleeping so soundly that Giovanni couldn't tell if she was breathing or not.

"Is she all right?"

Professor Oak, whose back had been to Giovanni, turned at the sound of his approach. 

"Leave her alone." There was a dangerous edge to Professor Oak's voice.

__

I'm not afraid of you, old man, thought Giovanni.

"Is she all right?" His voice was more insistent.

"Why do you care?"

"Because, believe it or not, Professor, I do care." Giovanni watched Delia for a moment until he was convinced that she was still alive. 

"Tell me, Professor, how does it feel knowing that you and I have shared the same woman? That I was the first one to touch her, to hold her, to make her cry out in pleasure?"

Professor Oak wasn't about to give Giovanni the satisfaction of taunting him, too. 

"We've never slept together. We're friends."

Giovanni was momentarily taken aback at Professor Oak's statement. He had assumed the two were lovers. Recovering his composure, Giovanni smiled cruelly and moved closer to the bars of the cell. "Well, in that case," his voice was chilling, seductive. "You won't mind if later I decide to relive some old memories with Delia." Giovanni leaned down, reached through the bars, and laid his hand on her leg.

In an instant, Professor Oak's hand shot through the bars of the cell and seized Giovanni by the throat. Giovanni was shocked by the strength of the older man's grip. 

"It's my sense of decency that's keeping me from killing you now," Professor Oak said in a voice that could barely contain the rage and hatred he felt for Giovanni. "But if you lay one hand on her…" His grip tightened.

Seeing that their boss was in trouble, two Team Rocket bodyguards came rushing up. Professor Oak let go of Giovanni, who fell to his knees gasping for breath. The bodyguards advanced towards the cell, ready to deal with the man who had attacked their boss. Giovanni raised his hand and they stopped in their tracks.

"No," Giovanni croaked in a hoarse whisper. "I'll deal with him later." Giovanni, his face murderous, slowly stood up to face his attacker. "You're a very lucky man, Professor. Normally, I would've had you killed on the spot for what you just did. But be that as it may," he motioned to his bodyguards. "You're more valuable to me alive…for now." Rubbing his bruised neck, Giovanni turned on his heel and strode angrily out of the room, followed by his bodyguards. 

Professor Oak leaned back wearily, shaken by the realization that he had just come close to actually killing a man. He looked down at Delia, who hadn't stirred through the entire confrontation. He didn't realize until now the depth of what he felt for her, and the thought both excited him and frightened him. 

"Oh, Delia," he sighed as he laid his head atop hers. "Giovanni will have to kill me before I let him hurt you again." And after the confrontation a moment ago, Professor Oak felt certain that was what was going to happen.


	3. Chapter 3

An hour later, a Team Rocket guard approached and opened the door of the cell. Keeping his eye on Professor Oak the entire time (he had heard from some of the other Team Rocket members about what the older man had done to Giovanni), he jerked his head in the direction of the hallway.

"Come with me. The boss needs you in the lab," he ordered.

"What makes you think I'll come with you?" Professor Oak challenged. He was ready to take on this intruder, too.

"Because if you don't, then Delia might not like it very much." Giovanni emerged from the shadows.

"You son of a…" Professor Oak advanced towards Giovanni but was stopped by the Team Rocket guard.

"Temper, temper, Professor. You really should work on controlling that." Keeping his distance from Professor Oak (he didn't want a repeat of their last conversation), Giovanni faced Delia. "Did he tell you that he nearly killed me earlier?"

"What?" Delia was astonished by his revelation. 

"Apparently he thought I was threatening you and nearly strangled me. He's very possessive of you, you know. I can understand that feeling."

As Delia's eyes met Giovanni's, she saw something familiar in them. Even though it was a mere flicker of the way that he used to look at her, Delia recognized it instantly. 

__

My God, he does still care for me. 

Giovanni turned back to the man who had nearly killed him. "Now, Professor, will you come willingly or will I have to make good on my threat from earlier?"

Delia, thinking that Giovanni was threatening Professor Oak, spoke up. "Go with him, Professor."

"What?"

"I'll be all right. Just go."

"Are you sure, Delia?" He certainly didn't trust Giovanni and gave him a look that clearly said so.

"You don't have to strangle me again, Professor. As long as you do my bidding, I won't harm her." Even though Giovanni wouldn't admit it, he was afraid of the older man. "Now go with my associate here. He will explain your assignment." 

After giving Giovanni a look that clearly said that he would kill him if he laid a finger on Delia, Professor Oak reluctantly went with the Team Rocket guard.

As Professor Oak and the guard disappeared down the hall, Giovanni moved forward to close the door of the cell. Delia reached out and laid her hand on his arm.

"Giovanni."

At her touch, a jolt of electricity shot through his body, stirring up feelings for her that he thought he had abandoned long ago. The unexpected effect unnerved him.

"We need to talk." Even though Delia was still somewhat afraid of Giovanni, she was less afraid now that she had seen what she did in his eyes.

"All right, talk."

"Not here. Alone."

__

What is she up to, Giovanni wondered as he searched her face for any signs of deception. He knew that Delia, as an ex-Team Rocket member, could be quite clever. But as he looked into her eyes, something deep inside told him that he could trust her. 

"All right. We'll go to my office." He unlocked the cell and guided her through the maze of dark passages to the hidden staircase. Once inside his office, Delia nervously sat down in the chair opposite Giovanni's desk. Giovanni took his seat and stroked the Persian that was contently sleeping on his desk.

"So. Are you going to plead for your boyfriend's life?"

"Professor Oak isn't my boyfriend. He's just a friend."

"That's not what he believes. He obviously cares a great deal for you, Delia. I used to feel that same way about you many years ago." He smiled at the memory. "We used to have some wonderful times together, didn't we?"

"I…I suppose so."

"Believe it or not, I do still care for you."

"You have a strange way of showing it." Giovanni's hateful tirade was still fresh in her mind. Just thinking about the awful things he said about her earlier brought a lump to her throat.

His voice softened. "Forgive me for some of the things I said earlier. You can understand my shock at the sight of seeing you again after all these years."

Uncertain of his sincerity, Delia looked into her former lover's eyes and saw with amazement that he was looking at her with the same desire that he had held for her many years ago. 

"Do you ever wonder what things would've been like between us if you hadn't left Team Rocket, Delia?" He rose from his chair and moved to the other side of the desk to where Delia was seated. Slowly, he reached out his hand and touched her cheek. "Don't be afraid of me, Delia." His voice was gentle, almost kind.

"How can I not be?" Delia said in an anguished voice as she pulled away from his caress and fingered the small scar next to her lip. "After what you did to me?"

"Delia, I was angry, hurt, betrayed. For God's sake, Delia, I loved you! How do you think it felt for me to hear that the woman I loved was leaving me for another man? I know I shouldn't have hit you, but I was so furious..." Giovanni sighed. "Actually, the person I really hated was the man who took you away from me. But since he's not around anymore and you say that Professor Oak is just a friend." He took her face in his hands. "Perhaps we can begin again." Giovanni bent down and then kissed her slowly, seductively…the same way he used to kiss her when they made love.

For an instant, the feeling of his mouth on hers stirred up sensations of the old passion that they had once shared. "No, no, I can't! I can't do this!" Delia cried as she grabbed his wrists and pulled away from his kiss.

Giovanni's face hardened. "I knew it. You love _him._"

"No, Gianni…" Frightened, she let go of his wrists.

"Don't ever call me that." Only two women had ever called him Gianni…Lydia and Delia. He wouldn't let any of his lovers since then use his nickname; the name had too many painful memories associated with it.

"Why? Why not? Gianni, please…"

"I said, DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN!" Delia cringed as he raised his hand. "Don't worry, Delia, I'm not going to hit you. I have better control of my emotions since the last time we parted." He stood up and returned to his chair on the other side of the desk. "This meeting is over," Giovanni said coldly as he jabbed at button on the intercom. 

"Why? Because I won't sleep with you? Is that it?"

He looked up at her. The softness had disappeared from his eyes. "Delia, you're forgetting that you're my prisoner. If that was what I wanted, I could easily force you against your will. Although I think the good Professor would do more than strangle me the next time he saw me if I did that," Giovanni said with a touch of amusement in his voice.

"Then what is it?"

"If I have to explain it to you, Delia, then you obviously don't know what I want." As a Team Rocket guard opened the door, Giovanni motioned to him. "Take her back to her cell."

"No!" Delia pulled her arm out of the guard's grasp. She had hoped that by appealing to the old feelings that Giovanni obviously still had for her she would've been able to persuade him to let them go. 

But she had failed. In desperation, she tried another tack: something that she had never told anyone, not even her late husband.

"Giann…Giovanni, when I left Team Rocket, I was pregnant. Pregnant with your child."

Giovanni looked up in shock. "What?"

"Yes, I was carrying your child…our child…when you hit me!"

Giovanni motioned to the guard. "Let her go." Visibly shaken, Giovanni crossed the room to where Delia stood trembling. "How do I know what you're saying is true, Delia?"

"Because I've never lied to you," Delia said as she choked back tears.

Giovanni tenderly lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "Then you're saying that the boy, the one that won the Earth Badge the day I left those incompetent fools in charge of the gym, is my…" 

Their conversation was interrupted when another Team Rocket guard ran into the room.

"Sorry to disturb you, Boss, but there's an emergency call from Jessie and James. They say it's urgent."

Giovanni swore under his breath. "Those idiots." He turned his attention back to Delia. "We'll talk more about this later." He motioned to the first guard. "Take her back to her cell."

--- 

Professor Oak had been frantic when the guard had returned him to the cell and Delia wasn't there. For what seemed like an eternity his mind raced with horrible images of what had happened to the woman he loved. Vowing that he was going to finish what he had started with Giovanni, he desperately searched the cell to try to find any way of escaping and finding her. A few minutes later, Delia and a Team Rocket guard appeared in the hallway. 

Visibly relieved, he embraced her as the guard pushed her back into the cell. "Thank God you're safe, Delia. Did Giovanni do anything to you? Did he harm you in any way? If he did, I'll…"

At first she was surprised by his spontaneous display of affection, but then Giovanni's words came floating back:

__

He's very possessive of you, you know.

He obviously cares a great deal for you. 

You love him.

Delia suddenly saw Professor Oak in a whole new light.

"It's okay, Professor…Samuel. I'm all right."

"Where were you? Where did they take you? I was so worried when they brought me back and you weren't here."

"I was with Giovanni." 

His eyes blazed with fury. 

"I was hoping that maybe he might still care enough for me to listen to me and let us go," Delia continued. "And he still does, believe it or not."

"What did he do to you? Tell me!" He was practically shouting at her.

"He kissed me. That's all. Nothing else."

But even that piece of news was enough to make Professor Oak livid.

"He did WHAT?"

"Calm down! Please calm down, Samuel," she begged. "Giovanni didn't hurt me. He isn't going to hurt me."

"How do you know that?" he raged. "You said he hit you."

"Because he thinks that Ash is his son."

The blood drained out of Professor Oak's face. "Ash? He's Giovanni's…" He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Yes," Delia repeated quietly. "Ash is Giovanni's son." 

Professor Oak slumped to a sitting position against the wall. He didn't think he could take much more of this. First Delia telling him that she used to be in Team Rocket and now this.

Delia sat down beside him. She had decided to take a chance and tell him her secret because she knew that she could trust him. 

"A few days after I left Team Rocket, I discovered that I was pregnant. Giovanni was the only one who could've been the father." Delia sighed and leaned her head back against the brick wall of the cell. "I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure how Will would take it."

"Did you ever tell your husband the truth?"

Delia shook her head. "No. I never told Will – or anyone else about it, for that matter - until now."

"So Ash doesn't know the truth, either?"

"No. And as far as I'm concerned, Will Ketchum was Ash's true father. That's the only truth he needs to know."

The sound of footsteps echoing in the corridor ended their conversation as both of them leaped to their feet. A Team Rocket scientist appeared in the doorway.

"Professor Oak, we need you in the lab again."

Delia gasped. "Eric?"

The scientist turned to her and also gasped in astonishment. "Delia?"

"You know him, too?" This day was turning out to be one filled with constant surprises.

"Yes. Eric and I joined Team Rocket at the same time. Matter of fact, we used to be partners."

Delia saw the hurt in Professor Oak's eyes. "Not that kind of partner," she assured him. "We worked together."

"What are you doing here, Delia? I didn't realize that you were back with Team Rocket again."

"I'm not, Eric. We're being held prisoner here." Delia's face brightened. "Maybe you can help us!"

"No. You know as well as I do what Giovanni would do to me. Besides, I came here for the Professor."

"You owe me a favor, Eric. How's your arm, by the way?"

"Oh, it still gets a little stiff sometimes, but…." He then realized what she was trying to do. Many years ago, he and Delia had broken into a Pokémon training center in Vermillion City. Eric had been caught by the center's owner and had badly broken his arm while trying to get away. Delia, who had managed to elude capture, disguised herself as Officer Jenny and convinced the center's owner that she had come to take Eric away to jail. Once the two of them were clear of the center, Delia had taken Eric to the hospital where Team Rocket doctors had been able to repair his injured arm.

"Delia," Eric said quietly. "I can't. Giovanni would…"

"Please, Eric?" Delia pleaded. "Team Rocket sticks together, remember?"

Eric regarded his ex-partner in silence for a moment, contemplating the consequences of crossing Giovanni. Finally, he spoke up.

"All right, both of you come with me." He released the pair from their cell and led them upstairs. As Eric was opening the door to the Team Rocket laboratory, they were confronted by a Team Rocket guard.

"Hey, what's she doing here?"

Eric had already thought of an excuse on the way. "The Professor was being extremely uncooperative earlier. I think he'll be more cooperative if he sees for himself what we'll do to his companion if he doesn't obey." Eric roughly grabbed Delia's arm.

The Team Rocket guard smiled sadistically and let them inside the lab. Once inside, Eric locked the door and pointed to a window on the far wall.

"We're only one story up. You should be able to climb out of this window. Head for the woods as fast as you can and don't stop running. We're about six miles due south of Celadon City. You should be able to find help there."

"But won't someone see us when we try to cross the courtyard?"

"Leave that to me," Eric said as he started searching through the chemicals that were stored on the shelf above his workbench. "I'll create a diversion. They'll be too busy dealing with the chaos here to worry about you. Do you remember the night we broke into the Pokémon lab at Saffron City, Delia?" 

Delia smiled triumphantly. "Yes! Oh, Eric, that's perfect!" She hugged him. "Thank you."

"Just get ready to run," Eric said as he held up a flask containing an off-white solution and started pouring it into three small beakers. "This should do it," he said as he scooped up a handful of purplish crystals. He started placing the crystals under the openings of all the doors and windows in the laboratory as well as the air vents. He then gave Professor Oak and Delia each a beaker of the off-white liquid. "When I give you the signal, each of you start pouring this on the crystals. Not too much, though. It won't take a lot to create a huge amount of smoke. Ready?"

They both nodded.

"Good luck," said Eric with one last fond glance at Delia. "Let's do it."

---

Coughing and choking, the two blindly made their way through the window at the far end of the lab and dropped down outside into a courtyard surrounded by a low wall. As they raced across the courtyard, a coughing Team Rocket guard stuck his head out of the laboratory window and spotted them.

"Stop them! They're getting away!"

Professor Oak quickly helped Delia climb up and over the wall, then followed suit as he heard barking and snarling of Arcanines behind him.

"After them! They're over there!" 

One of the dogs narrowly missed Professor Oak's heel as he fell over the side of the wall and landed in a bush next to Delia. Delia grabbed his arm and quickly helped him up.

"Sound the alarm! They've escaped!"

"Run, Delia!" He grabbed her arm and together they ran into the forest that surrounded the enclave.


	4. Chapter 4

They ran for what seemed like an eternity, dodging trees and jumping over rocks and fallen logs. Finally, Professor Oak had to stop and catch his breath. Even though he was in good shape for a man his age, it still didn't change the fact that he wasn't as young or agile as Delia. Realizing that Professor Oak wasn't behind her anymore, she wheeled around and stopped.

"No, go on," he panted. "I'm holding you back. It's me they want, anyway."

"I'm not going to leave you," she said as she ran to his side.

"Delia, go. Save yourself. I'll be all right."

"I'm not leaving you," she insisted, taking his arm. 

In the distance they could hear the rustling of bushes and shouting. Delia tugged at his arm and the two started running again. Finally, in the midst of a thicket, they stumbled upon a small cabin. The door easily swung open when they pushed against it, causing them to fall in a heap on the floor inside. The billowing dust made Delia sneeze as they examined around the cabin's interior. There was an overturned table with two chairs, a bed in the far corner, a cupboard with one door dangling open along one wall, and a fireplace on the opposite wall. Scrambling to their feet, Delia quickly shut the door. Professor Oak grabbed the chairs and propped them against the door. 

"They're coming," Delia said as she heard voices in the distance.

"The bed. Tip it over." Professor Oak and Delia grabbed the bed and tipped it on its side. The mattress started falling down, but Professor Oak grabbed the edge and lifted it back into place. He then pulled Delia into his arms and the two huddled together in the dark corner behind the bed. Both held their breath as they heard a rattling at the door.

"I can't open it, Cassidy. It's stuck."

"Let me try, Butch." The girl shoved against the door and cursed as she fell backwards. Brushing herself off, she told her partner "Give me your flashlight. Let's see if they're in there."

Shining the light through the dirty window, Cassidy peered inside.

"Do you see anything, Cassidy?"

Professor Oak pulled Delia closer to him as the light crept around the edge of the bed.

"Just a broken old table and bed. There's no one here."

"Maybe they're around back. Let's go look there."

Professor Oak and Delia remained motionless in their hiding place as they heard the pair walk around the outside of the cabin.

A minute later, they heard a boy's voice exclaim, "They're not here. Let's go, Cassidy."

They stayed in their dark corner until the footsteps faded into the distance. Convinced that the pair was gone, Delia slowly peered around the bed. 

"I think we're safe now. They're gone." She stood up and stretched out her hand to help Professor Oak up.

"We did it," Delia proclaimed happily as she gave Professor Oak a hug. The two remained in each other's arms for a few seconds, then Delia's stomach growled.

"Guess we'd better try to find something to eat." She went over to the cupboard and rummaged through its contents. "I wish I could see what I'm doing," she said as she squinted in the fading light. "You wouldn't happen to have a flashlight, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Professor Oak said as he dug in the pocket of his lab coat and produced a small pen light. "I use it for examining Pokémon as part of my research."

Delia took the flashlight and searched through the cupboard. "Hmmm, here's some crackers….only two years past the expiration date." She opened the package, took a small bite of one of the crackers, then spat it out on the floor. "Yuck. That's awful!" She dug through the cupboard some more. "Here's a can of peaches, but no way to open them. You wouldn't happen to have a can opener on you, would you?"

"Sorry."

"Wait! Here are some granola bars…and they're still wrapped. Maybe these will be okay to eat." She handed him the four bars. "And here's a can of some kind of cola." She took the can out of the cupboard and looked around one last time. "Looks like that's it." 

"At least we won't starve for a while. Help me right the bed. We can eat on that." She helped him put the bed back in its original position.

"Eww, I'm not eating on those dirty sheets. Let me shake these out." She took the sheets off of the bed and shook them. Dust billowed up in a cloud around her, causing them both to sneeze repeatedly. "Maybe I'd better do this outside," she coughed.

Once she had shaken the dust out of the sheets, she remade the bed and the two ate their makeshift dinner.

"What should we do now?" she asked when they finished eating.

"It's getting dark. It'll be too dangerous for us to continue through the woods. I think we should spend the night here and try again in the morning."

"Do you think we should try to start a fire? It's getting a little chilly," Delia commented as she buttoned her sweater.

"I don't have any matches on me. Do you?"

"Let me check the cupboard again." Professor Oak handed Delia the flashlight. "I saw a metal box back here on the top shelf. Ah, there it is." She pulled out the box and placed it on the bed. "Oh, it's locked," she exclaimed in frustration.

"I could look outside for a rock and try to smash it open," Professor Oak suggested.

"No, you don't need to do that." Delia reached up and undid the barrette that held her hair back. She took the metal end of the barrette, inserted it in the lock, and twisted it. The lid of the box popped open.

"I did learn something from being in Team Rocket," she said as she put the barrette back in her hair and opened the box. It contained some small tools, a couple of fishing lures, some string, and…

"Matches!" Delia exclaimed happily. "We're in luck."

"I saw some firewood out back. I'll go get some." Professor Oak took the flashlight and went outside.

In a few minutes, they had a fire started and the two sat side-by-side in front of the fireplace, warming themselves.

"This feels good," Professor Oak said as he held his hands in front of the fire. "It's getting chilly out there."

Delia closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. 

"Getting tired, Delia?"

"It's been a long day," she yawned as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why don't you go to bed? I'll sleep on the floor here."

"Oh, Samuel, I can't let you do that. The floor's too hard, not to mention filthy. The bed's big enough for two people."

Professor Oak wondered if Delia realized what she had just said. 

"There are two blankets. You can take one, and I'll wrap myself up in the other. That way, we'll each have a blanket and both be cozy." To demonstrate, she took one of the blankets, wrapped it around her, then laid down on the bed. "There. Now you lie down and take the other one."

Hesitantly, he took the other blanket, wrapped up in it, and laid down on the bed next to her.

"There. Now we'll both be warm all evening." She rolled over and smiled at him. "Good night, Samuel."

"Good night, Delia." 

Delia rolled back on her side and snuggled into the pillow.

"Delia?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be all right if I put my arm around you? Not that I'm going to try anything, just that maybe we'd be a little bit warmer."

Delia smiled and moved closer to him. Professor Oak put his arm around her waist.

"Good night, Delia."

"Good night, Samuel."

--- 

He was awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of whimpering. Rolling over, he found Delia in the throes of a nightmare. 

"No, Giovanni…no…please."

__

The bastard won't even let her sleep in peace, he thought angrily as he reached over and touched her shoulder. 

"Delia, wake up."

At his touch and the sound of his voice, her eyes opened. Obviously terrified, she threw her arms around him. He put his arms around her and held her. She was clutching him so tightly that he could feel her heart pounding against his.

"You're safe now, Delia. Everything's all right," he said reassuringly as he stroked her hair. He felt her relax against him. "I won't let Giovanni hurt you again. Not as long as I'm alive." 

Delia sighed and buried her face in the warmth of his neck. 

__

I do love him.

He was momentarily startled by the sensation of her lips against his neck, but then he closed his eyes and let himself be overtaken by a wave of joy and desire. As he began to kiss the soft warmth of her neck she moaned in pleasure, which intensified his desire for her tenfold. Finally, their lips met and his hands slowly started to explore her body. As he slipped his hand under her sweater, he felt a dampness against his cheek and saw that tears were falling from Delia's eyes. Suddenly ashamed of his conduct, he quickly pulled away from her. The last thing in the world he had wanted to do was hurt her.

"Oh, Delia, I'm so sorry," he whispered in an anguished voice. "Forgive me. I got carried away. I never should have…"

She gently took his hands and guided them back to her body. "No. Don't stop."

"But why are you crying?"

"Because it wasn't until now that I realized how much I do love you."

Overcome with joy, he kissed her with unrestrained passion as his hands began to touch her in ways that made them both dizzy with ecstasy.

"I love you too, Delia."

--- 

Afterwards, they lay in bed together with Professor Oak's arm wrapped around Delia's waist, their clothes piled in a heap on the floor.

"Do you think I should tell Ash?" Delia wondered as she gazed out the window, watching the sunrise.

"Uh, I think maybe we should wait and see what happens between us, don't you?"

"No, I'm not talking about this," Delia said as she flipped over to face him. "About my past. Being in Team Rocket. About Giovanni."

"Well, I think you should. Hasn't he ever asked you about it before?"

"Sometimes. But I've always come up with some excuse to put it off. I'm just afraid of what he'll think of me."

"You told me, and I don't think any less of you," he said as he brushed the hair away from her face. "Matter of fact, I admire you even more for having the courage to walk away from Team Rocket and Giovanni." 

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Samuel."

"Ash loves you, Delia. Just like I do. It'll be all right." He drew her close to him and kissed her. 

After making love for a second time, they got dressed, had another granola bar, and set out to find their way back home. Fifteen minutes into their journey, they spotted a well-worn trail. Less than two hours later, they finally caught sight of Celadon City. 

"Looks like we've completed our journey," Delia said as the sun glinted off of the tall buildings in the distance.

"Actually, I think it's just begun," Professor Oak smiled as he took her hand and together they headed to a destination that promised safety, security, and hope.

THE END


End file.
